From my understanding, you’re spot on that the VA only requires intent to occupy the property within 60 days—there’s no hard-and-fast rule about staying for a year.

Buy, even if you don't plan on staying in that 1st house in Cleveland permanently you can just use an FHA loan live there for a year and turn it into a rental afterwards.

After five years, I am willing to buy the other owner out or they could stay in and continue earning and enjoying the property. 

If you have a lender they should be getting lien releases as they pay draws.

In those cases, the main criteria we add to our lease is that everyone that comes to stay there must be subject to a background check paid by the company.

Weaver and is called 30-day stay.

I see enough of these, I think it must not really be an option or some young entrepreneur would be taking on these projects.Are they big enough for me to have the kids and grandkids stay over?

Preferably stay for one year and find another house.

Some of them have phone numbers as well, but pretty much all of them are marked as Do Not Contact.Does this seem like an effective track to stay on?

If you are still willing to stay in the same unit as your brother you can get a 2-4 unit building, rent out the other units and still rent a bedroom within your unit to your brother for extra income.